The present disclosure relates to chambers for dispersing liquids in soil, and especially relates to endplates for leaching chambers.
Molded plastic leaching chambers (also referred to as leaching conduits), especially those sold under the trademark Infiltrator(copyright), have met substantial commercial success. Examples of such type of chambers are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,661 to May and Nichols; in U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,844 to Nichols and Coppes; and, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,017,041, 5,156,488 and 5,336,017 all to Nichols.
Generally, plastic leaching chambers are arch shaped, with corrugations running along the arch shape, and have open bottoms and sidewalls with perforations, typically slots. In use, chambers are placed in a trench in the soil, connected one to the other as a string. The two chamber openings, at the opposing ends of the string, are closed with endplates. One of the endplates is connected to a pipe and the chambers are buried. The liquid to be dispersed, e.g. storm water or effluent from a septic tank, is typically delivered to the buried chambers by gravity flow through a 4 inch pipe.
Liquid introduced into a chamber leaches into the soil, both by flowing downwardly and by flowing through the chamber sidewall perforations. Generally, it is desirable that the perforations be placed at as great an elevation as possible, to maximize the chamber""s liquid dispersing capacity. Liquid may accumulate inside the chamber when the inflow is greater than the dispersal of liquid into the surrounding soil. Thus, it is desirable that a leaching chamber have capacity for such accumulation by filling to the maximum extent possible.
One useful leaching chamber and endplate is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,844. Referring to FIG. 1, a portion of an arch shape cross section chamber 22 with a spaced-apart endplate 20 is shown just before insertion of the arch shape endplate body into the chamber open end 26. The chamber 22 has features like those taught by the patents referred to above. Peaks 16 and valleys 18 run across the arch comprising corrugations which give strength. Slots 24 run lengthwise along the opposing sidewalls. The chamber base 44 comprises two spaced apart flanges running lengthwise, with an open space therebetween, so soil 25, on which the chamber rests, is exposed to liquid entering the chamber.
The chamber open end 26 is adapted to receive and join to a mating chamber so a string of chambers may be created; or, to receive endplate 20. The endplate 20 has an arch shape portion, shaped to slip-fit into the open end 26. The endplate has tabs 28 which engage openings or depressions 30 on the interior of side wall of the chamber to hold it in place.
Although this system is particularly useful, there continues to be a need in the art for endplates which are easier to install, effective against soil intrusion, and which increase the structural integrity of the leaching system.
The disclosure relates to an endplate, a method for making the endplate, and a leaching chamber system for dispersing fluids in soil. The endplate comprises: an inner wall and an outer wall defining a central portion having an interior channel, said central portion having a size and geometry similar to the leaching chamber size and geometry; and at least one connector disposed about the periphery of said central portion, said connectors capable of engaging the periphery of the leaching chamber.
The method of making the endplate comprises: melting a material to form parison; extruding said parison between mold halves; closing one end of said parison; blowing an inert gas into said parison to form a balloon; closing the mold halves to form the endplate.
Finally, the leaching chamber system comprises: at least one leaching chamber having a hollow interior with open ends, and sidewalls with perforations which enable fluid passage therethrough, said leaching chamber having a size and geometry; and an endplate disposed adjacent to and in intimate contact with the periphery of said leaching chamber at one end, said endplate comprising an inner wall and an outer wall defining a central portion having an interior channel, said central portion having a size and geometry similar to the leaching chamber size and geometry, and at least one connector disposed about the periphery of said central portion, said connector engaging the periphery of at least one end of said leaching chamber.